Police in New Dress Code Crackdown in Iranian Capital

Police in New Dress Code Crackdown in Iranian Capital

Police in Tehran are conducting a new crackdown on women whose clothing does not comply with Islamic dress standards, according to ASSIST News Service. Such operations, in which police screen foot and vehicle traffic at major junctions and shopping centers, are conducted fairly often in Iran. The latest crackdown -- which police chief Hossein Sajedinia said was "asked for by the people" -- was ordered days ahead of the May 4 second round of parliamentary elections, and as the onset of warm weather has prompted Iranian women to don lighter clothing. Women wearing "bad headscarves, bad dress, and model-type women in vulgar dress" will be stopped, Sajedinia said, and fined or detained in police stations until relatives bring them more modest clothing. Sajedinia also said companies importing "illegal clothes" that did not comply with Islamic dress standards would be given a warning or closed.